In the Closet
by teothreebythree
Summary: How long can Clark and Lex keep their feelings suppressed if they can only get a few feet away from each other? M/M CLARK/LEX Smallville COMPLETED
1. Chapter 1

Title: In the Closet

Summary: How long can Clark and Lex hide their feelings when they can't get more than a couple feet away from eachother?  
disclaimer: I don't own smallville, superman, clark, or lex. But I wish I did own lex. Then I would be a happy girl.  
A/N: I just got the 1st DVD of Smallville and I've only seen 6 episodes so far, so there's probably some old information in here or something, but, oh well. It goes in the first season. And sorry if the grammar's bad in some places, I was no big shot in English class ;)  
KUDOS: kudos to Ashley Robison for the initial idea for the story! Love you, girl!  
warnings: hmm warnings, warnings. Are there any warnings for my story? let's see.. oh yeah... SLASH!

The door was propped open with a make-shift stopper which also happened to be an upside-down crystal bowl. The door was quite heavy and shut on it's own, so Lex had set the bowl in front of it while he and Clark put away the leftover food. Lex had held a very nice little (huge) party for people mostly between his and Clark's age, and he had invited Clark. Clark had a good time; it was nice talking to people who didn't go to school with him. Lex wanted to make as many friends as he could, of course. If he could gain their trust as people, he could gain their trust as customers.

"That turned out well," Lex commented, walking into the pantry behind Clark to put a few things on the top shelf. They heard a sound like glass sliding slowly along the floor. With sudden realization, they both spun around to stop the door, but too late. It closed with a heavy click of the lock.

"Shit," Lex breathed. He rattled the handle and pushed on the door uselessly. Clark thought of about four ways he could easily open it, but not without giving himself away.

"Don't you have the key?" he asked.

Lex shook his head, frowning, "No, I left it on the table." He hit his fist on the door and walked around the small room.

Clark thought. "Do you have your cell phone?"

Lex shook his head again, "All I get are work calls on it, so I left it in my study."

Suddenly Clark was aware of how small the pantry was and how little room he and Lex had to move.

"Back up," Lex said, easing as far back as he could without smushing Clark into the shelf. It shouldn't have bothered Clark to have a wall right behind him and Lex very close in front of him, but it made him oddly uncomfortable. He didn't like it. Lex moved forward and kicked the door where the lock was as hard as he could. It barely even budged.

"Sheesh, what's that door _made of_? It's awfully heavy security for a food pantry," Clark commented. He tried not to smile, watching Lex struggle to open the door like that. He imagined the look on Lex's face if he just walked up and tore it off its hinges.

Lex turned and gave Clark a look that made a small knot in his stomach. "In this house? The room was probably made to hold something other than party favors. I had the shelves put in just a few days ago," he commented, waving his hand around to indicate the shelves: four on the three walls without a door. They made for much less moving room.

Clark took a deep breath. "So, when's the next time you're expecting company?"

"Actually, I'm expecting a few people fairly early tomorrow," Lex replied, exhaling audibly, "I bet we can open this door, though."

After lots of banging, searching, theorizing, and stressing, Clark and Lex had only made a few mediocre dents in the door. Clark had to be very careful not to use very much strength and still appear as if he were using all of his effort when he rammed his shoulder against the door. After much furtive contemplation, he decided if no one found them tomorrow, he would just bust the door open and call it luck. Otherwise, he wasn't going to risk exposing his abilities.

"At least we got stuck in a room full of food," he said to Lex with a classic Clark smile.

-later-

Lex and Clark had just enough room to sit shoulder-to-shoulder on the floor, their legs comfortably extended over the length of the room. They ate snacks and tried to think of things to talk about.

"How's it going with Lana?" Lex asked, taking a bite of a roasted sesame cracker.

Clark sighed, shaking his head. "Sometimes I think she really wants to be with me instead of Whitney, but then she stays with him. I wonder if she can't make up her mind, or if she doesn't realize how she acts toward me. I suppose she wants to be friends and not betray Whitney, so, I have to respect that."

Lex shook his head. Clark was so hopeless. He clapped Clark's thigh smartly.

"You'll figure it out." But Clark wasn't paying attention. At the touch of his thigh, he felt chills go up and down his skin. It was wierd, and Clark wasn't sure it was natural. He shouldn't feel these things toward Lex, should he? Besides, Lex was older and more sophisticated, and as far as Clark knew; not gay. And as far as Clark knew, _he_ wasn't gay.

"Alright. We're both thinking it, and I'm going to say it," Clark began, dropping his pride, "We have to take a leak somehow."

Lex let out a laugh. "I suppose if we got _really_ desperate we could go in a jar. Close the lid. I think if we put it in the back it won't smell." But Lex looked pretty skeptical.

Clark shook his head, "No way, I can not have my own urin in the same room with me. Besides, there's no way to cover up the smell. And this is an enclosed area... isn't that intoxicating or something?" He looked around, thinking. Lex chuckled at his use of the word "intoxicating."

"I know!" Clark suggested. "We could use ziplock bags, and then we could slide them under the door!" He was half-joking, but if he got _really_ desperate... The door was about an inch and a half off of the floor.

"No. I am _not_ pissing in a ziplock bag."


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Clark had his eyes closed, taking in deep breaths.

"Feeling ok?" Lex asked, a crease forming between his brows. Clark nodded silently.

"Just feeling a little claustrophobic," he said. He had never felt that way before, so he just tried not to think about it, taking deep breaths. Then... he swore he felt Lex's fingers brush his hair, just above his ear. Shivers went up and down his skin, and he tried not to show any discomfort on his face and pretend it didn't happen. Several minutes later, he chanced opening his eyes. Lex looked deep in thought. Clark decided to try to be casual. Maybe something else brushed him, or he had something in his hair, or he imagined it.

He sighed kind of audibly and said, "Well, I'm feeling a little better," and smiled.

Lex smiled, "That's good." It was silent for a while. One part of Clark was comfortable, sitting in this cozy space with plenty of food, talking to his friend, who just happened to be sitting very close to him. Another part of him wanted to leap up, burst through the door, and run as fast as he could... which would get him home in around 30 seconds.

"So how's business?"

Lex scoffed, "God, are we that desperate for conversation already?" Clark laughed, feeling a little more comfortable. There was a long silence in which Lex tapped his fingers and Clark started looked through the house with his x-ray vision.

Lex raised an eyebrow at him, "Deep in thought about the food?" He asked querkily.

Clark shook his head, thinking of an explanation, "I was counting."

"First business now... counting. What's next? Poisonous koolaide?" Clark laughed. Lex seemed to make up his mind.

He took a deep breath and said, "I like you, Clark." Lex was determined not to lose eye contact. Clark smiled nervously, braving a shaky chuckle.

"Ok," he said, trying to blow off the awqwardness.

Lex narrowed his eyes, "I don't think you _understand_." He leaned in closer to Clark who promptly froze and couldn't manage to make eye contact.

"Remember when you pulled me out of the car and had to give me mouth-to-mouth?" Clark felt a little nervous twitch in his stomach.

"Er..." then it hit him. His eyes flew to Lex's intent blues. "Wait, how did you know that?" He never told him to keep out any awqwardness; and it worked _really well_, apparently.

Lex's gaze bore into Clark's. "I woke up just before. I wasn't sure what was going on, but later I looked back on it..."

He leaned in even closer until his lips were an inch from Clark's ear and his warm, soft breath sent a shiver all the way down Clark's spine as he whispered, "I liked it."

Before Clark knew what was happening, Lex's lips were connected with his and he was kissing him back. Lex eased away and Clark realized that somewhere in the last 10 seconds he had stopped breathing.

"Well," Clark said, breaking the silence, "It didn't go _quite_ like that."

"I'm sorry," Lex said defeatedly, sitting back down and trying not to invade Clark's space, which was hard in the small pantry. He ran his hand over his head, feeling uncomfortable. He hoped he didn't just completely terrify his friend.

Clark creased his brows. He liked the kiss but... what did that mean? His head wouldn't work right. What he wanted to do was figure out if he could be with Lex, or if that was what he wanted, but he couldn't get past the question. He couldn't weigh his feelings or his options, he could only think about the kiss. Lex seemed nervous, as if he did something wrong, and Clark had to be honest or Lex would get the wrong idea.

"I liked the kiss," Clark admitted, his face suddenly feeling very hot. Lex turned his head sharply. He nodded slowly and looked away again. He still felt a little rash.

"But, I'm confused," Clark said, his brows furrowed curiously, "You always tried to get me to go out with Lana."

Lex smiled a little and shrugged casually, "I wanted you to be happy. That's what friends do."

Clark looked at Lex in a new light. He already admired and respected him, but the fact that Lex respected _him_ enough not to persue him was very charming. He smiled, and Lex caught site of him.

"What?" he asked, smiling suspiciously.

Clark wasn't sure how to describe his feelings.

"I liked the kiss."


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Lex felt a calmness and a comfort knowing that it was all out in the open. There was a vague, soft happiness where it wasn't real to him yet. He felt a little dazed, which was very unusual for Lex Luther. At least he didn't feel like a big old pervert anymore.

He smiled down at his shoulder where Clark's sleeping head resided. He didn't want to think about his dad or Clark's parents, and how impossible it would be to be honest with them. He didn't want to think about the possibilty that Clark would back out, what with his parents and the pressure of school. For now, he just wanted to stream his fingers through the wavy brown hair and listen to Clark breath.

But Clark's breathing changed. It quickened. Clark's head twitched to the other side and he made a small, scared noise. Lex stared at him, worry etched all over his face. Clark made a harsher noise and his hand flew onto the shelf beside him, grasping the surface.

"Clark!" Lex said sharply, shifting to face him.

Clark yelled out and his hand found a glass jar of salsa, squeezing it.

"Clark!" Lex said louder, grabbing his shoulders firmly, "Wake up!"

The glass around Clark's hand started to crack and snap. Lex stared at the jar with shock and realization. Cracks in the glass spread and webbed all around the jar, and Clark's fingers started pushing the glass inward. Salsa oozed out of the jar in several places and ran over Clark's hand.

Lex tore his gaze from the jar and shook Clark roughly.

"CLARK!"

"Huh?" Clark looked around and his stomache sunk at the site of the jar. He realized he felt groggy and he was a bit damp from sweat, having had another nightmare. He slowly released his hand from the jar. It gave another loud pop and a shard broke off, causing salsa to spill out onto the shelf. Clark and Lex stood up simultaneously, away from the mess, staring at the crushed jar. Clark looked at his hand which was covered in salsa and had pieces of glass stuck to it.

"S-sorry," he stammered awqwardly, "I had a bad dream." How was he going to explain this? He wiped the glass off of his hand onto the shelf.

"A _bad dream_?" Lex repeated flatly, raising his eyebrows.

Clark cleared his throat nervously, "Man--that jar must have been cracked or something--"

"_Clark_," Lex cut him off, "There was nothing that could have prepared that jar for what it was about to go through." Clark breathed a laugh and made eye contact with the wall somewhere to the left of Lex.

"You _tore_ the roof off of my car underwater," Lex stated, his was voice soft but demanding. Having Lex stand over him, so close, was making Clark's blood boil. Not to mention there was no explaining this one. There was a long silence.

"I have some..."--Clark tried to think of the right word,--"gifts." He let out a breath defeatedly, "We think it had to do with the meteor shower. Anyways, dad thought, and I agree, that it would be dangerous to show them to other people because things would get ... _complicated_." He looked up at Lex with big blue eyes. Folding his arms in front of him, Lex surveyed Clark with interest, his face breaking into a curious smile.

"What other gifts do you have?"

Clark couldn't help himself. Lex wouldn't spread any rumors, and he hadn't been able to confide his powers to anybody. Besides, if Lex knew about one ability, what's the harm in him knowing all of them?

"Well," he said slowly, "I can move really fast, jump really high, I have super-strenth, umm, I have x-ray vision, oh and I floated once." Lex raised his eyebrows, surprised. Clark moved to the other side of Lex in a blur of color.

"See?" he said, beaming.

Lex looked very taken back, "Wow. That's... incredible. I mean I had my suspicions about my car, but, all those things you listed... that's phenomenal. What am I saying? It's a miracle!" He looked astoundedly at Clark, who didn't look pleased.

"It's just wierd, mostly," Clark said with a shy smile.

Lex looked concerned. "You saved lives with those powers, Clark. You saved _mine_, you saved the principal, Whitney, Lana, god knows who else. People are here now because of you." Lex took a step toward Clark. "I'm here because of you," he said, as serious as death. As serious as life. He put his hands gently on Clark's shoulders and ran them slowly inward and up his neck. Clark shivered and looked up. Lex leaned in and this time Clark moved in too. It was a slow, lingering kiss. Clark was trying very hard not to grab Lex by the shirt and force him closer. They stared at eachother. Clark wasn't sure he could take it anymore and at the same time he couldn't look away.

"Look, I know how your dad is, and I know how school is, so if you want to just convince ourselves we were drunk off our asses and forget it all, then... no hard feelings." Lex shrugged.

Clark smiled. He knew it was the last thing Lex wanted. "Honestly... I don't know. I thought I liked Lana, now I like you. No offense, but it was unexpected. I just need time to clear my head and think about everything."

Lex nodded, "That's fair."

They spent several moments looking away from eachother. Lex looked at the demolished jar again. He had to keep telling his mind not to think of ways he could use Clark's powers for profit. It was automatic.

"So, what you do you say to getting us out of here?" Lex said with a smile.

Clark's face broke into a wide smile. He could finally share his secret with someone.

"Well, I'll warn you now, there may be some damage done to the door when I'm done," he said with false airiness. Lex smirked.

"I don't know, Clark, I might not be able to afford to repair it." Clark rolled his eyes, turned toward the door, reeled back his fist, and followed through on a punch that sent it flying accross the hallway.

"Ok," he said as they walked out of the pantry and Lex stretched his arms, "I got us out. _You're_ cleaning up the ziplock bags."


End file.
